by Sarah Lynch, Special for USA TODAY

by Sarah Lynch, Special for USA TODAY

CAIRO - Egyptians voted on a final draft constitution Saturday amid deep political divisions that have shaken the nation in recent weeks, prompted rival protests and led to deadly clashes.

"I'm voting yes to the constitution," said Fatma Imam at a polling station, carrying the Koran. "Every item in the constitution is good, and I don't see anything wrong with it."

But others reject the document, underscoring widespread doubt over its contents.

"I'm worried about women's rights, and about this constitution," said Namaa Mostafa Saad, a homemaker who voted against the charter. "Some items in the constitution just favor the ones who wrote it, and we are lost in the middle."

The vote has turned into a dispute over whether Egypt should move toward a religious state under President Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and ultraconservative Salafi allies, or one that retains secular traditions and an Islamic character.

More than 50 million people in Egypt are registered to vote in the referendum, held in what has become a volatile political crisis. Some judges refused to oversee the vote, which will continue for a second day on Dec. 22.

"It's not an appropriate time to vote because all powers should have sat together and agreed on everything in the constitution," said Mina George, an accountant who voted anyway.

Others were not concerned.

"Of course there will not be consensus and all people won't agree on things, so it's normal to have division," said Imam, wearing a black face veil and standing in a diverse line with numerous Christian women.

A battle between opposing political camps over the content of the constitution and the future of rights and freedoms has persisted for months, escalating when Morsi issued a decree that gave him sweeping powers and sidelined the judiciary in November. This protected the committee charged with drafting the constitution from judicial oversight after being challenged in court.

Morsi and his camp framed the move as necessary to protect democracy and achieve stability, convincing many of his supporters.

"We are looking for stability," said telecommunications manager Gehad Mohamed at a recent pro-Morsi rally. "If we are blocked in completing a constitution, we will not move forward and our economy will continue to suffer."

But the opposition saw Morsi's decree as a power grab and took to the streets for weeks demanding that Morsi cancel the decree and postpone the referendum on the document they believe was drafted by a body that does not represent all Egyptians.

"The Muslim Brotherhood is leading the country on a roller coaster, creating a constitution for their own benefits," said Salma Suleiman, a television personality who protested against the referendum on Tuesday.

The president rescinded the decree last week, but the referendum was held as scheduled.

Zein Al-Abideen Mikawy, a carpenter, said he voted 'yes' Saturday in part because he wants to see the application of Sharia, or Islamic law. "I want to reduce impolite things in media and the streets," he said, believing that will be possible with the new constitution.

On Thursday, after days of deliberation, the opposition launched a "no" campaign rather than boycott the vote, refusing a document they complain could lead to restrictions on freedom.

"We are at a crossroads, either between a democratic, modern state in which we definitely respect religion because Egypt is a religious country, or going back to the Middle Ages," said Khaled Dawoud, a spokesman for the National Salvation Front, the main coalition of opposition political parties.

The draft constitution falls well short of protecting human rights, Amnesty International said, and ignores the rights of women, restricts freedom of expression in the name of protecting religion, and allows for military trial of civilians.

"Provisions that purport to protect rights mask new restrictions, including on criticism of religion," Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said in a statement. "Women, who were barely represented in the assembly, have the most to lose from a constitution which ignores their aspirations and blocks the path to equality between men and women."

But even if some see flaws in the draft charter, desire for stability and economic growth is leading many to vote in its favor. Egyptians have suffered from political unrest, particularly those in the diminished tourism industry.

"Tourism comes, then goes down - comes, then goes down," said tour guide Hamdy Ghonim. "It's OK when the country is OK, and goes down when people protest."

Tourism has drastically declined in recent weeks, and many of those coming for Christmas canceled, Ghonim said. At times of unrest, potential visitors stay away from Egypt alongside demonstrations in the streets and a drop in effective security that has plagued the nation since last year's uprising.

"I'll vote 'yes' because we are in the tourism field," he said. "If we would need more time to make a new constitution â?¦ that will stop everything in Egypt."

Even if the constitution passes, however, there are no guarantees of stability.

"There will still be a very politicized, highly mobilized minority that is going to feel as if they were disenfranchised by the process," said Michael Wahid Hanna of the Century Foundation, a think tank based in New York.

Some are refusing to participate in the referendum in light of divide.

"I didn't vote and I'm not voting," said Gamal Abdel Rahman, a driver. "I don't like the situation right now. â?¦ We are retreating, not advancing."

Still, some are optimistic.

"It's just a phase where we have have differentiations in opinions," said Nagwaa Mustafa, a pharmacist. "But in the end, we are all one."